After a season opener in which he was practically a non-factor, Dallas’s offseason acquisition of Delon Wright had a much more encouraging performance on Friday night.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 8-12 | 4-4 |
This all around contribution is what we saw from him in small doses after he broke out last season, and he should be a valuable contributor going forward on a dynamic Mavericks team. Here are some other notes from Friday’s nearly-full slate of games.
Marc Gasol
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0-4 | 0-8 | 1-2 |
Ew. Gasol is just so old and the offense doesn’t flow as smoothly as we’re used to seeing, meaning that the lumbering big’s best days are likely behind him. The assists will continue to be a nice asset, but he won’t be a reliable scorer and is too slow to post big rebounding numbers.
Grant Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-3 | 2-9 | 0-0 |
It wasn’t Daniel Theis but Grant Williams who got more playing time down low towards the end of the game against the Raptors. He can shoot the three (though it didn’t fall this game) and could be an interesting fantasy prospect should he continue to pick up minutes at the center position for a team lacking big man depth after injuries to Enes Kanter, Tacko Fall (hilarious injury, by the way), and a small one to Theis.
Karl-Anthony Towns
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 37 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4-7 | 13-18 | 7-13 |
DAMN, Karl. The only damper on this game is the free throw shooting, especially for a career 83% shooter. But this is his team and it looks like he’ll have a career year. He’s also putting up crazy defensive stats and his passing is improved.
Devonte’ Graham
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6-9 | 8-15 | 2-4 |
Over 10,000 adds in Yahoo! fantasy leagues mark a strong start to the year for Graham, who continued his scorching start from beyond the arc with his second straight game with six three-pointers. The Hornets are abysmal, but that may be good for the young guard to get more experience. He trailed only PJ Washington in minutes last night with 28.
Coby White
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4-8 | 10-16 | 1-2 |
Rookie of the year front runner? Maybe, maybe not. Too early to tell. But he’s impressing way more than Kris Dunn and Tomas Satoransky and his three pointers are valuable.
Chris Paul
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0-2 | 3-9 | 0-3 |
I’m not exactly sure what the Thunder were looking for when they got Paul, but I’m sure as hell sure that this wasn’t it. The free throws are an anomaly, but c’mon man. A proven vet like this can’t miss all three attempts without some serious issues going on. I can’t imagine he’s too happy in his new situation.
Nikola Jokic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0-2 | 8-18 | 7-9 |
Would the Joker captain the all-out-of-shape sports team? CC Sabathia and David Wells would definitely be competitors. But no one works their flawless magic on the court like Jokic who continues to pay off his first round value. He’s the only reliable player night-in and night-out on this fun Nuggets team.
Hassan Whiteside
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 9-10 | 4-6 |
A lot of people seem skeptical of the Whiteside experiment in Portland, but this is an encouraging showing nonetheless. He’s a double-double threat every game and is always good for a FG% boost given that he doesn’t take many shots outside of, like, four inches.
Bojan Bogdanovic did not play due to an ankle injury. As a result, the Jazz started Joe Ingles and Jeff Green at the forward spots.
Ingles played 28 minutes and produced:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
The minutes will be there regardless of role, but not sure about the production. He should be fine, but keep an eye going forward.
Green played 23 minutes and put up:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1-2 | 2-7 | 0-0 |
The Jeff Green experience, ladies and gentlemen. Only viable in the deepest of leagues.
Mike Conley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1-5 | 3-11 | 6-6 |
The wretched shooting continues, but at least he didn’t go 1-for-16 again. It looks like Conley got onto the court after a binge session at Popeyes, as the grease is still on his hand and his stomach looks bogged down. He’s too good of a player not to bounce back and could be a great buy-low candidate. It’s been two games, people!
Donovan Mitchell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0-2 | 7-15 | 10-10 |
The Alpha of the Jazz, Mitchell is going to produce beautiful music all season long. He’s so damn strong that he bullies smaller guards.
LeBron James
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 32 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1-4 | 12-22 | 7-8 |
Was unstoppable down in the post and navigating the pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis. On a side note, AD needs to play center because the Lakers are such a better team with him there and Javale McGee and Dwight Howard on the bench. Anyways, LeBron is going to mess around plenty this season, and if he can keep the turnovers low and shoot lights out from the free throw line….Who am I kidding? You’re going to get what you paid for as long as he stays healthy.
Anthony Davis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0-2 | 7-17 | 7-7 |
The game was a slop fest. Look at the score! 95-86 with the Lakers the victors. What year is it? Not the cleanest game from AD, but this was essentially his floor. Must be nice.
Troy Daniels
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4-8 | 5-9 | 1-1 |
Played 21 minutes off the bench and provided an offensive spark by shooting lights out from the perimeter. He’s a career 40% from downtown, so he will have games like this. The minutes likely won’t be consistent and he’s a strictly 3-and-nothing-else player for fantasy.
Alex Caruso
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
Caruso played 20 minutes when AD switched to the 5. He can bring the ball up the court, which is somethng the Lakers are having trouble with right now, can shoot, and is an above-average defender. Rajon Rondo returning soon may nuke any opportunities for Caruso, but he’s someone to keep an eye on. He’s shown he can play in the past.
Pascal Siakam
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5-7 | 11-22 | 6-6 |
Stud. Second straight game with 30+ points. The defensive stats are light for someone with his athleticism, but whatever. He’s contributing everything else and looks to have no problems being The Man in Toronto.
Jaylen Brown
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2-7 | 11-20 | 1-1 |
Played 38 minutes after his foul-filled opening game dud. Maybe he is worth $115 million. Eh. Maybe. As some great philosopher on the internet wrote, “Time exposes all things.”
Robert Covington
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-4 | 4-10 | 0-0 |
Only played 18 minutes due to foul trouble and the 121-99 drubbing of the Hornets. Move along. Nothing to see here.
Jeff Teague
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0-2 | 1-4 | 2-3 |
Continues to look and play awfully. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. With that said, he didn’t play any basketball over the summer due to recovering from an ankle procedure, so there’s hope.
Mitchell Robinson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 0-0 |
Only played 17 minutes due to foul trouble. That’s something that haunted him last season, and keeps his value in check.
Elfrid Payton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2-3 | 4-10 | 0 |
Got the start at point guard and played 24 minutes. Elf has triple-double upside, but also triple-nothing downside. Plus, you never know what Fizdale will do with his rotations.
Allonzo Trier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3-4 | 6-7 | 7-11 |
Iso Zo in the house! He’s a baller but Fizdale doesn’t commit to him.
Spencer Dinwiddie
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2-7 | 5-12 | 8-10 |
Played 27 minutes and is the primary scorer off the bench.
Rui Hachimura
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-4 | 8-20 | 3-3 |
Played 35 minutes. He’s getting all the opportunities he can handle. The FG%, assists, and defensive stats will be light, but he should provide plenty of points and grab rebounds on a terrible Wizards team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2-4 | 10-17 | 6-8 |
He is so damn good. Already, OKC is Shai’s team and he sits on the Iron Throne.
Otto Porter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1-4 | 1-6 | 1-1 |
Got the start but only played 21 minutes. The Bulls are load managing him for some reason. Have to hold until we get more information.
Jrue Holiday
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-3 | 2-11 | 4-4 |
He truly is on a Holiday, huh? He and Conley are obvious buy low candidates.
Brandon Ingram
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4-7 | 10-20 | 1-1 |
He’s making threes and blocking shots! Are the Pelicans Ingram’s team now? Well, I do think Jrue bounces back, and he is the main guy, but Ingram continues to develop and has the looks of being a top 100 player for fantasy.
Aron Baynes
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1-3 | 6-10 | 2-2 |
Got the start and played 29 minutes due to the Deandre Ayton suspension. He’s a must-add.
Frank Kaminsky
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0-3 | 4-12 | 11-11 |
Played 33 minutes off the bench. Has value while Ayton is out, but don’t count on 11-for-11 from the free throw line….ever.
Will Barton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1-4 | 1-6 | 2-2 |
Got the start but only played 21 minutes. He’s inconsistent but usually has a solid minutes floor due to his defensive versatility. Unfortunately, the Nuggets are deep, so I’d keep a close eye on his usage going forward.
Jerami Grant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1-5 | 5-11 | 2-3 |
Played 31 minutes off the bench, while Paul Millsap only played 22 minutes. A situation to monitor.
Malik Beasley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-4 | 7-11 | 1-1 |
Played 29 minutes off the bench and was the one to take Barton’s minutes. He’s primarily a scorer without much else, but minutes are minutes.
Anfernee Simons
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3-6 | 6-9 | 0-0 |
Played 21 minutes off the bench. The team loves him, and when he gets on the court, he isn’t shy about putting up shots. The problem is that the Blazers have Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the backcourt.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4-6 | 5-11 | 2-3 |
Played 29 minutes off the bench. He’s the main guy off the bench and will provide points, three-pointers, and steals.
